


The Wheels On The Bus

by teaandcardigans



Category: Charmed (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:22:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25859650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaandcardigans/pseuds/teaandcardigans
Summary: Macy Vaughn is travelling her usual route to work, looking out for a familiar stranger.Basically just fluffy fluff.
Relationships: Harry Greenwood/Macy Vaughn
Comments: 7
Kudos: 30





	The Wheels On The Bus

Macy continued to stare out the window, watching as they passed the buildings and streets as the bus wove its way through the familiar roads of Hilltowne. Well, roads that were becoming more familiar in any case. Even though Macy had been here for two months it still didn’t feel quite like home. 

She had tried, really she had, but there was still just something missing. She had the perfect job, a quaint apartment the perfect distance from her workplace, everything had fallen into place just so and yet…

Making friends had never come easily to Macy, there were always so many rules to follow, cues to look out for that overwhelmed her every time one of her new colleagues approached her. It had been easier to keep her distance, politely declining the invites to after-work drinks, instead of retreating to the small safe space that was her apartment. 

But just because it was easier short term didn’t mean that she didn’t continue to experience the consequences. 

She shook her head, placing her earbuds in her ears as her attention fell to the passing of The Lazy Bean coffee shop. It was your regular, run of the mill small town coffee shop, nothing special, except that it meant that it signaled they would soon be arriving at stop number nine. 

Macy felt a blush creeping up her neck as she pushed aside those thoughts convincing herself that she hadn’t been anticipating this stop since she got on at stop three. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth as her eyes scanned the passengers as they boarded the bus one by one. She resisted the urge to crane her neck so that she could look out the window to see those still waiting to board, as she had on other occasions. 

She could feel proud of herself that she had managed to show at least some restraint. 

She pushed down that little jump inside as ‘he’ came into her focus, reminding herself that she was a grown, professional woman, not a school girl waiting for her crush to board the school bus. 

She lifted her book a little higher so that she could peer just over the edge, hoping to make herself a little less conspicuous as he shrugged off his thick coat and folded it over his arms before placing it on the seat next to him. Her eyes watching every move as he carefully unwrapped the camel coloured scarf from around his neck and placed it over the back of the empty chair in front of him. 

He seemed a little more frazzled than usual she noted. He was well dressed as usual, in the many times she had caught the bus to work she had never seen him in anything less than a three-piece suit. At first, she had assumed he was a businessman and would stay on past her stop at the University labs continuing on into the city. But she had been surprised when he had pressed the button at the stop just ahead of hers at the university itself. 

She had altered her theory accordingly, moving from him being part of the administration to a more mature aged student, before settling on the lecturer. About the right age, and when she had just happened to see his academic papers the next morning she had decided that she was correct. 

She only expanded on her theories, with each subsequent trip. 

She had found herself one morning examining his hand as it gripped onto the rail just ahead of her. The first thing she noticed, completely by accident, was that there was no sign of a ring on his left hand. A silly pang of hope ran through her as she made a mental note of this fact. A fact carefully stored away with all the other little assumptions and theories she would find herself imagining whenever she felt the need for an escape. 

Imagining how she would straighten his tie before they left the house. He would give her a peck on the cheek. Before they would head to the bus together, his hand securely held in hers with matching gold bands. 

Macy had always had an overactive imagination. Useful in times when she needed to escape the pressures of real life. 

Over time she found herself wanting to know more, to cross the line between fantasy and reality. She wasn’t sure what she was waiting for, maybe for her courage to build up enough for her to make a move. Once she had gathered enough data, run through every possible outcome maybe then she would have the confidence to introduce herself. Maybe even offer a friendly wave or nod of the head. And if she was bold enough she would move across from her aisle seat allowing him space to sit next to her. 

Last week had been the closest she had come yet. 

Macy had gripped onto the railing as the bus jostled and shook, perhaps due to the heavier load than usual. The bus before hers had been cancelled and her usual seat had been occupied. She leaned over to see the familiar sign for stop nine. He moved down the bus easily offering apologies as he made his way past, her ears pricking as she heard him speak. 

She was almost sure she could detect an accent. 

He took his place next to her as his hand gripped onto the railing behind her. Macy found a spot on the wall and concentrated intensely on it. Not daring to even glance in his direction. She was so intent on that little spot that her body didn’t have to compensate for the sudden sway of the bus. Her hand slipped from the rail and she braced herself for the inevitable impact. 

Instead, she felt a strong grip on her elbow, that kept her from falling. She let out an undignified squeak as she was able to find her feet again. 

“Thank you,” she managed as she met his gaze, a lump developing in her throat as he smiled back at her. That was when she first noted his eyes, never seeing them up close, she was intrigued by how they managed to look both green and blue at the same time. 

“You okay?” he asked, concern etched across his features. Macy managed a nod before she noticed that his hand was still secure around her elbow, her eyes drifting downwards. 

He let out an ‘oh’ as he removed his hand, rushing it over his hair, “sorry,” he apologised. Shifting in his spot, and Macy muttered an ‘it’s okay under her breath’ returning her attention to the spot on the other side of the bus while the bus continued the journey. 

She did note however that there was definitely an accent. 

Macy absent-mindedly began to re-read the page of her book again. As her eyes drifted again. Noting that he had pulled out his phone, absorbed by the speaker on the other end. 

The bus rounded the final corner before the university campus came into sight. He was still talking on the phone when the bus stopped and several passengers began to make their way to the exit. 

She was about to try to restart the chapter of her book again when she noticed it. The camel scarf, that was still draped ever so carefully on the seatback. 

Logic would dictate that she should leave it there, that the bus driver would collect it at the end of his trip and it would be handed in to lost and found. And then she thought of how carefully he had placed it just so. How it could mean something significant and before she knew it she had jumped out of her seat, grabbing the scarf from the seat and managing to slip out the back doors right before they snapped shut. 

She spotted his head above the crowd of people at the stop, starting to filter towards the campus, and she gave chase. Paying no mind to how frantic she may appear, rushing down the road to chase a stranger the camel coloured material trailing behind her as she did so.

“Excuse me’” she shouted above the crowd, hoping to catch his attention, only earning a few strange looks from other passersby. “Your scarf!” she tried again as she began to gain on him, despite his brisk determined walk. 

“I’ve got your scarf.” It was loud enough to stop a number of people in her vicinity, including its intended recipient. 

“I’m sorry?” he asked as he spun around to face her. 

The physical effects of the chase had started to take their toll, as she leaned forward bracing her hands on her knees, as she sucked in deep breaths. She managed to raise the scarf in her hand out to him as a way of explanation. 

His eyes widened at the realisation that the material clasped in her outstretched hand was actually his winter scarf. 

She had expected a hurried thank you before he would continue on his way, and she could finally collapse in a heap and regain her composure before walking the extra distance to the lab across on the other side of campus. 

Instead, she felt an arm wrapping around her back, while a hand steadied her elbow, allowing her to rest some of her weight against him. He moved them to a park bench nearby and helped her to ease herself down. 

“Did you run all this way?” he asked as he took a seat next to her, continuing to watch her carefully as her breathing returned to normal and she swore to herself that starting tomorrow morning she was going to commit fully to that running routine she had been putting off. 

She managed a nod, not trusting her words to come out more than breathy squeaks. 

“You didn’t have to really,” he told her, a hand resting across her arm, a movement that only made her calming heart rate peak again. 

“Thought it might be important,” she replied resting her back against the bench as her heart rate returning to normal. 

She watched as he passed the material between his hands, examining it carefully as if lost in his own memories, a softness and sadness passing over his features, “It is important.”

Macy stood up abruptly, his hand falling from her arm as she did so, “I should probably get going then.” 

A panic passed over his features, “Right the bus, let me walk you back to the stop, or call an Uber.” 

“It’s fine,” she replied quickly, “I mean, I actually work at the lab at the other side of campus, so I can just walk. It isn’t that far.”

“Morningstar labs?” 

She nodded, doing up the buttons of her coat as the cold air, now that the adrenalin of her impromptu run was no longer present, cut through her right to her bones. 

He looked at his watch, his head tilted as he contemplated something, before meeting her eyes again, “I don’t have a lecture until 11 am, perhaps I could accompany you to the labs.”

“No, really,” Macy said shaking her head as she started to walk away. 

“It’s fine,” he hesitates, his fingers pulling at the edge of his coat, “perhaps we could also get a coffee.”

Macy’s eyes widened, and she wondered if perhaps she had passed out on her way to return his coat and this was all just some Hallmark her mind had concocted. 

“I mean, to say thank you, if there is a cart on the way,” he explained quickly. 

“That would be nice,” Macy answered politely, meanwhile she was mentally screaming in her own head and high fiving herself. 

“Delightful,” he replied, and Macy found herself smiling as he clasped his hands together. 

“Oh, I haven’t even introduced myself.” He admonished himself, as he held out his hand to her, “Harry Greenwood.”

Macy took his hand in her own, “Macy Vaughn,” she told him as she gave his hand a solid shake. 

And while she may have been a little later to the office that morning, as she traced the lettering of the business card that he had hurriedly fished out of his satchel to give her before he rushed off to make his way back to the Social Studies Department, she couldn’t quite bring herself to regret her decision in the slightest. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading 😊 This was going to be part of Hacy Week but other commitments and a global pandemic got in the way.


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